In the field of painted automotive components, robotic arms having paint spray tools are used for applying paint to a part. At the end of a robotic arm a paint spray tool is mounted. Several designs of paint spray tools incorporate the use of a charge ring, near the spray outlet of the paint tool for applying an electrical charge to the paint particles in midair as the paint leaves the spray outlet, and is blown toward the surface of the part. The system uses electrostatic attraction to charge the paint spray particles and cause them to be attracted to the part in order to prevent the particles from becoming airborne, over spraying or reflecting off of the surface of the part.
One particular problem with the use of a charge ring is that during a paint spraying operation, the probes of the charge ring can accidentally become covered with paint due to the close proximity of the paint spray tool and the part. When the probes of the charge ring become covered in paint, they lose their effectiveness to charge the paint particles coming off of the paint spray tool. It is therefore desirable to provide a paint spray tool arrangement that allows for adjustment of the charge ring for specific types of applications.
Another aspect of paint spray tools is that they have paint supply inlets where pressurized paint is connected to the paint spray tool and flows through conduits in the paint spray tool to a spray outlet. Different types of paints having different types of viscosities are used sometimes alone or simultaneously with paint having a different type of viscosity or consistency in order to achieve a desired finish. During operation of the paint spray tool, it is desirable to purge the main paint supply conduits of any paint within the tool body. In order to effectively purge the paint, it is desirable to have a proper orifice size in the purge conduit that is suitable for the viscosity of the paint that is being purged.